The Last Suppers (A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery, #4) by Diane Mott Davidson

The Last Suppers (A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery, #4) Reviews

• 
  James

  Review
  3 1/2 (rounded up to 4) out 5 stars for
  The Last Suppers, the fourth in the "Gold Bear Culinary Mystery" series, by
  Diane Mott Davidson. In this book, Goldy's about to get married, but unfortunately the wedding might be delayed when Tom calls about a murder. And it's a priest!
  
  
  
  Goldy's close with other parishioners and the clerical folks in her Colorado church, but she is shocked to discover what's lurking beneath the surface when she digs a little deeper this time. For a bride-to-be, she's certainly not having any fun. Drama everywhere, both in her personal life and with the murder. Tom warns her to stay out of it, but she can't help herself.
  
  The book follows the normal pattern and is another good edition in the series. I enjoy the characters and there is growth... unlike some cozies where the main character tosses back and forth between two suitors forever. In this one, there is actually forward motion and a marriage. I like when love wins out a bit. A nice surprise in the latter portion of the book makes things better.
  
  
  
  Smooth sailing with the series at this point... I had no real concerns at this point.
  
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• 
  Debbie Zapata

  The fourth of seventeen in the series. I promised my mother that I would read them but I simply cannot continue.
  
  The mystery genre has not appealed to me since I overdosed on it years ago when my health crashed. At the time all I could handle to read were cozy mysteries like this. And, just like eating too much of certain foods (except chocolate) I have not wanted any ever since.
  
  But Mom loved this series; it was the first time she had ever read one from first book to last in order and she went through them the way I go through a bag of Lindor Truffles. And then she began to ask when I would read them.
  
  I told her I did not care for mysteries but that I would try someday. And I have tried. This fourth title started out differently than the first three had. Goldy was about to be married. But where was the groom? And where was the clergyman who would perform the ceremony?
  
  Goldy is stressing over these questions as well as catering details. Way too many things on her plate and she is a basketcase from the first sentence. Then that phone call comes and the day really goes to pot.
  
  I would in a small way like to know what happened and why, but when the next chapters made it clear that there was Something Very Wrong with the inner workings of Goldy's church, I lost interest and began skimming, then decided that I simply could not face any more of Goldy's major stress.
  
  And I will not be continuing with this series. I will explain again to my Mother that this is not my genre and while I am glad she enjoyed the books, every reader has their own favorite type of books and I would not want to be unfair to this author or to myself by enduring forced reading.
  
  Lesson learned once again!
  
  DNF after about chapter 6.
  
  
  
• 
  TheAccidental Reader

  I am enjoying this series so much. I don't typically read series at all, but it's nice to get to know this particular set of characters. This particular mystery was much more interesting to me than I had anticipated. There is a lot of church talk in this book, much politics of church management. Seems pretty dry. And YET..........this book grabbed me more than the priors in the series, because I cared so much about the character that was in trouble.
• 
  Teri-K

  Wow, either my tastes have changed a lot or my memory is getting pretty foggy. I used to read this series when it first came out and I remember enjoying it, though I stopped after eight or so books. I haven't read any since then. When I realized I could reread this one and fulfill several GR challenge tasks, I eagerly looked forward to an enjoying story. Instead I had to force myself to finish.
  
  First off, who calls their fiancé by his full name? About 50% of the time they talk or think about him? Our heroine did that through the entire book. It was very annoying. As for her church, if someone behaved the way the bishop did in any church I've ever been part of, it would be considered a scandal and things would be looked in to. I can't imagine anyone just passing that behavior off.
  
  A smaller annoyance was the insistence that marriage lasts beyond death. Love and caring, yes. Marriage? No. I've been a widow for ten years. The last thing survivors need is to feel obligated to remain bound to a dead person for the rest of their life. It's not romantic, it's cruel.
  
  As for the story itself, all the suspects were nasty, narrow minded people and I couldn't manage to feel bad if any of them were guilty. All in all, I won't be revisiting this series again for a very, very long time.
• 
  Stephen

  A chum of mine, who is a reader of the annual General Ordination Examinations of the Episcopal Church, recommended this book to me, knowing that I am a member of the General Board of Examining Chaplains, the group that writes the exam. The author, Diane Mott Davidson, was for many years a member of the Board of Examining Chaplains of the Diocese of Colorado. Eventually, she would set one of her culinary murder mysteries in and around an Episcopal Church. As a bonus, Goldy Bear -- the caterer-detective protagonist -- is also a member of the diocesan examining chaplains and there are a lot of details about the General Ordination Exam in this little book. Like many of the best works of culinary fiction, this one includes recipes. Not quite a cozy, this work has greatest appeal for women readers. Davidson spends a lot of time telling the reader what the characters are wearing, right down to precisely-defined colours, which are meaningless to many men. The heroine is believable, likeable and clever and, it would appear, a pretty good cook. I'm happy to have read this particular one in her mystery series; I am unlikely to read another.
• 
  Lisa B.

  I listened to the audiobook and find the narrator to be very entertaining. The author to the suspense right down to the very end. This has turned into one of my favorite cozy mysteries.
• 
  Erin

  OH MY GOD. I HATED IT.
  
  Only a few pages in and I'm already super annoyed with this book. 1) It is being super religious. 2)I find it super annoying that Goldy is all upset about what she is wearing on the day of her wedding. I'm sorry, I don't know any bride who takes shit from anyone. It is YOUR day, YOU choose what to wear, so no one, not even the church can tell you that you have to wear a suit or a hat. To me it seemed like unnecessary drama from the writer just to create drama for dramas sake.
  Not impressed so far.
  
  So after slogging (and I mean slogging) through 106 pages, I finally gave up. I just could not stand the story anymore, could not stand the fact that everyone was "clomping" in the story.
  
  So I did something I never do, I mean I never give up on a book. And if I give up on the book it generally means I'm giving up on the series. But this is not the case, I'll continue on to the next book, but if that one gives me the same issues I'll give up on the entire series. I also did something I never do, in I read the last 2 chapters of the book. For morbid curiosity I wanted to know who did it, and if Tom survived.
  
  Really, I do not feel like I've missed out on the story by skipping forward.
  
  I cannot believe how much I disliked this book. Hopefully the next one will be better.
  
  Added: 05/06/2013 - 3 years later and I still haven't bothered picking up the next book in the series. I guess this one really just did kill my desire to see what came next.
• 
  Book Concierge

  This is book # 4 in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series. The Altar Guild ladies seem to have everything under control for the wedding reception, but Goldy just can’t stay out of the kitchen. She SHOULD be dressed by now … because it’s her own wedding. Yes, Goldy and homicide detective Tom Schulz are going to tie the knot. But the pastor is late, the reception hall is locked, and no one else seems to have the keys. Just before the ceremony is to begin Goldy gets a call from Tom – the wedding isn’t going to happen today. Pastor Olson has been murdered. When the police finally arrive at the church they bring even worse news; Tom Schulz is missing, apparently kidnapped by Olson’s killer.
  
  Goldy is a likeable amateur detective, but I don’t know anyone who refers to their significant other by his full name. Almost every time Goldy thinks about Tom she uses “Tom Schulz.” This really irritated me after a while. The Episcopal Church also takes quite a hit here; there doesn’t seem to be a single competent clergyman in the group, and the women of the Altar Guild are either controlling shrews or scared little mice. I thought too much time was spent on outlining the fight between the “charismatics” and the “Old Guard” factions.
  
  Still, this was easy to get into and a pretty fast read. Mott offered plenty of suspects, plot twists and recipes to keep me turning pages.
  
• 
  Thereadingbell

  Caterer Goldy Bear's wedding would have been perfect except for two minor problems--the priest is killed shortly before the wedding and her fiance', homicide detective Tom Schulz, is kidnapped from the scene of the crime. Tired of waiting for updates from the police, Goldy attempts to find out who ruined her wedding. Is the killer the organist, recently fired by the priest? Or the disgruntled theology student snubbed by the ordination board? Added throughout the pages and between the suspense is Goldy's 10 gourmet recipes as well as criticism directed toward organized religion. The scandals of Goldy's church snowball as she pursues the killer. Battles over church funds, building projects, and hymnal music lead to suspicious miracle healing and cleric egocentricity as well as corruptness. Tom Schulz's character is for the most part one-dimensional. Goldy's thoughts and reactions to all the events make her an interesting character with depth. I really like this series. I feel for Goldy this was suppose to be a beautiful day for her on her wedding day and it turns into a nightmare.
• 
  Kellene

  Why do I keep forgetting how much I do not like these books? The catering theme comes up and I wind up slogging through yet another Goldy caper… and beating myself for forgetting again. This one made me yell a lot. Why does Goldy use his full name every time Tom Shultz is mentioned? Drove me nuts! And the whole battle between the traditionalists and the charismatics in the church? I was an Episcopalian for many years, and I never heard any such battles going on in any church I attended. There was absolutely nothing believable in the story, and I was bored to death. Swearing off Goldy again, and hoping I remember it this time.
  
• 
  Jonathan

  Really 3.5 stars but I rounded up
  
  Another wonderful book in what is turning out to be a solid series. The Last Suppers takes us to Goldy and Tom's wedding, however a cryptic phone call comes from Tom and then he disappears. Goldy must find out what's happened to her fiance and who murdered the priest before the killer kills Tom.
  
  I really like Goldy, she funny, but yet a very strong main character, having suffered abuse from her ex-husband, then having to rebuild her life for her family, she's great! The rest of the "normal" characters also appeared, Arch, Marla, Julian, and, of course, Tom. Ms. Davidson did a wonderful job of portraying Goldy and her friends and family in a state of shock after Tom is kidnapped, it's honestly what I'd expect in this situation.
  
  The mystery was good, I figured it out only a few pages before the killer was revealed. There wasn't as many clues as I'd have liked, but it was still a good, solid mystery that I enjoyed.
  
  However, the book had a couple of drawbacks. It seemed like the author dragged some explanations about Goldy's church and the priest's house out forever. I found myself getting distracted by these lengthy descriptions. But yet she did a wonderful job introducing some new characters from the church, I really hope we see Agatha, Zelda, and Lucille in future books.
  
  Overall a good mystery, very good characters, but some lengthy and at times boring descriptions gives The Last Suppers 3.5/5 stars. I'm looking forward to the next book!
• 
  Jennifer

  Personally, if the priest was killed the day of my wedding, I would have took it as a bad omen. Goldy, as per usual, takes the chaos much better than could normally be expected in The Last Suppers. She was also a dealing with a kidnapped fiance that she is determined to save even if she has no solid leads and no reason to believe she is anything other than a distraction to the investigation. The Last Suppers is more hectic and frantic than most Goldy Culinary Mysteries and the emotions shown in the wake of the chaos are barely recognizable. At least the recipes, especially the Shrimp on Wheels and the Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake, sound delicious. There were some religious terms that never heard and couldn't find the motivation to look up, which isn't a good sign. It wasn't the greatest Goldy Culinary Mystery, but fans of the series will want to see for themselves what happened on Goldy and Tom's wedding day.
• 
  Melissa

  Goldy and Tom are getting married. I've been listening to these books all out of order. I just listen to whatever is on the shelf at the library when I'm there so all the other books I've "read" of hers are after Goldy and Tom are married. It was fun to read an earlier book to see how they got there. My biggest complaint in this book is how often Goldy referred to her fiance, her love, as "Tom Shultz" who talks about their fiance using their full name? That was weird. Maybe it wouldn't have been as bad if I read it but every time I heard her say, to her son or best friend no less, something like "oh I just with that I knew where Tom Schultz was" or "sorry son, they haven't found Tom Shultz yet" Weird. That threw me off and kind of put a bad taste in my mouth.
  
  other than that, a satisfying story and good to listen to as I drive around the valley back and forth to work.
• 
  Barbara ★

  I usually like books in this series but this is obviously one of the first few written.
• 
  Erica Chaillot

  This book was fun and cute. I like Goldy and Det Tom. Will. I will continue to read them. 3.5 stars
• 
  S. J.

  *4.6 Stars*
  
  Scorecard: (Out of 10)
  * Quality of Writing - 9
  * Pace - 9
  * Plot development - 9
  * Characters - 10
  * Enjoyability - 9
  * Insightfulness - 9
  * Ease of Reading - 10
  * Photos/Illustrations - NA
  Final Score: 65/70 = 93%
  
  
  My Review of Catering to Nobody: Book One
  
  
  My Review of Dying for Chocolate: Book Two
  
  
  The Cereal Murders: Book Three
  
  *The Gush*
  
  Simply put, I was not prepared for this book. I’d been looking forward to Goldy and Tom getting together since…a third of the way through book one and it’s finally here! The very beginning of the book was wonderful, Goldy flittering about as her wedding is only minutes away and we are so excited! …And then it all goes to hell (particularly ironic considering the church setting of this book). The priest who is supposed to marry them is killed and Schulz is taken captive by the killer. With Goldy left at the alter through no fault of her or Tom’s, the wedding is cancelled and the police are frantically searching for one of their own. Arch and Julian are devastated while the only thing keeping Goldy going is trying to figure out why her priest was killed and who has her hopefully soon to be husband.
  
  By this point in the series, the reader has figured out that each book has a distinct theme or issue that the entire story focuses around. The first book was an introduction to the series but the second focused on family issues, the third on college admissions and parent’s reactions to children’s grades, and now the fourth book is set around the organization and social interactions within a church. While the author and Goldy discuss this from an Episcopalian view point, most of what they talk about can be found in any local church as well as most higher level organizations of various denominations. As a PK (pastor’s kid), this book was like old home week as I saw people and churches I’ve known in my life as well as the bureaucracy of the upper echelons in Goldy’s experiences. Indeed, it was a bit hard for me to read about the priest’s death, as was the politics that despite what people might think is rampant in all churches in some form or fashion. What I really liked was that the author was careful to give all sides a voice and while the reader might side with one side or the other, both had their reasons and both (in some people from both sides) acted for and said what they said because they genuinely felt this was the right thing to do. The major problem is that both sides were sabotaging any attempt of the priest for compromise.
  
  This mystery completely sideswiped me. Looking back, I don’t think it should have. The problem is that this book is so emotional for any reader who has been with our characters on the complete journey to this point. Goldy is a mess and since we see the world through her perceptions, our world is skewed. This really worked to obscure the clues and the motives that all but danced in front of us with sequins. I should have got this but I didn’t, it was a complete shock. Great writing and great use of the larger story, Davidson; I salute you.
  
  *The Rant*
  
  Having glanced at some of the other reviews on this book, I can perhaps understand why some people didn’t get into the story, perhaps because the experiences were so foreign to them. However, I’ve read beyond this book and know that there are a couple upcoming books that deal with themes that absolutely have zero interest for me and I read and enjoyed them despite that. Each of the books comes with its own pluses and minuses and those change from book to book. The reader has to take each one as they come, but I have yet to read on that completely turned me off, even the one that concerned high priced cosmetics which I absolutely couldn’t care less about and find many of their marketing practices nearly offensive, though I’m also not a Spare the Hare type person either (look forward to that).
  
  *Conclusion*
  
  I really enjoyed this book, not just because it dealt with such personal growth for some of my favorite characters, but also because of the setting for this book. Having grown up in the church, much of what went on in the book was familiar to me and was almost like seeing people or places I have been. The mystery was fairly good, though it seemed to almost come out of left field mostly because the emotions infused throughout the book clouded most of the clues. I don’t necessarily see that as cheating but I do feel that the author made very good use of her readers’ love for her characters.
• 
  Mark

  Doing some "fill-in-the-blanks" reading of the Goldy Bear mysteries..."The Last Suppers" is the 4th in the series and opens with the set up for the marriage between Goldy and Aspen Meadows detective Tom Schulz...It should be a wonderful day, but their priest is murdered and Tom is kidnapped...The clock is ticking and the pages are turning...Good Stuff!!!
• 
  Aneca

  Well after having voiced my worries that this series wasn't really as good as I was hoping for in my review of the last book I decided to pick this one from the TBR pile and see how it went.
  
  It should be the happiest day of Goldy the caterer's life. After years of putting the disaster of her first marriage behind her, she has finally found the courage to love again. Soon she'll be walking down the aisle of St. Luke's Episcopal Church to wed the man of her dreams, Tom Schulz, a homicide detective who shares Goldy's passions for preparing food and solving crimes.
  
  But moments after Goldy's put the finishing touches on the scrumptious wedding feast, and just before the ceremony begins, she receives an urgent phone call from the groom. The wedding is off, and the reason is a killer.
  
  In The Last Suppers, Diane Mott Davidson mixes irresistible suspense with delectable humor to create a five-star treat for readers and cooks alike. Included are Goldy's original recipes for such delicious dishes as her heavenly Dark Chocolate Wedding Cake with White Peppermint Frosting, savory Shrimp on Wheels and zesty Fusilli in Parmesan Cream Sauce. The Last Suppers is a mystery with a gourmet twist--recipes no one can resist.
  
  I'm afraid I didn't much like it. Goldy's fiance is kidnapped on the day of her wedding after having found the priest murdered so the mystery in this book is about who killed the priest and kidnapped Tom.
  
  I had several problems with the book. First that is mostly set around the Episcopal Church and it's members. I have no knowledge of that church so I wouldn't know how it's members are supposed to deal with each other and their beliefs. Since I'm not a very religious person I think it was a bit too much to have the whole book revolving around that. Then Goldy doesn't seem distressed enough by the kidnapping, Tom could be dead for all we know and she keeps questioning potential suspects with the same cool head as it if were someone else. She is also cooking a lot, I know food is the theme of these mysteries but it felt a bit like she was going on with doing her regular things instead of being nervous and stressed and scared.
  
  Then the mystery part, since I know next to nothing about the Episcopal Church I really didn't understand what was at stake for it's members and so I only discovered the murderer in the end like everyone else. Of course by the final chapters I wasn't really interested in what was going on anymore. I was very disappointed and I'm not sure I'll pick another book of the Goldy series, at least not any time soon.
  
  Grade: C
• 
  Victoria

  At long last, the much anticipated wedding of Goldy Bear and Tom Schulz and the church she grew up in. Interestingly enough, Goldy is also catering the affair, with Julian's help, of course, as she struggles to meet the expectations of the wedding director and also make sure the food is prepped and set up on time. The moment approaches with no groom and no pastor. Goldy gets a call from Tom saying Pastor Olsen called him out to his house for a ride to the wedding due to car trouble and when Tom arrived, he found the pastor dead. Reluctantly, Tom tells Goldy they will have to put their wedding off and he will meet her at the church as soon as he finishes up at the crime scene. But Tom doesn't return to the church, another police office, Boyd, does and tells Goldy when they arrived on scene, the found Pastor Olsen dead, signs of struggle but no Tom. They think he has been kidnapped and they ask Goldy to come and view some things they feel Tom left as clues including his notebook. As Goldy tries to decipher the clues and notes, she passes through the next 50+ hours in a daze, but steadily cooking to keep her mind off things. Tom had already moved some of his things to Goldy's house including his trusty recipe box so the book is filled with some great recipes. It's soon apparent that there are a few candidates for killer of Pastor Olsen; his lover, one of the parishioners, her husband, a organist who was fired, one of the previous canons/pastors, as well as a canon candidate who had been turned down numerous times. Several church members themselves fit the bill as the church has been struggling with old ways and new ways and Pastor Olsen's acceptance of incorporating some new traditions include miracle healing into the service, well, let's just say that doesn't go over very well. As Goldy does her usual information gathering skills with a tasty side of delicious food, she ends up confronted by the killer who flees and dies of a heart attack. Goldy is devastated as she still does not know where Tom is. But she figures it out and he is rescued in the nick of time. Even after that ordeal, they decide best not to waste time and are married the next day! This was a very fast paced book in this series, really enjoyed it and the recipes.
• 
  Sarah Sammis

  The Last Suppers by Diane Mott Davidson is the fourth in the Goldy Bear Catering mystery series. If these books were a television series, The Last Suppers would have been the season finale and suffers from the same mistakes that many a season finale make.
  
  Goldy and Tom are finally getting married. Except that when Goldy walks down the aisle, Tom is no where to be seen! Shortly after that, a priest ends up dead. When Tom still hasn't appeared, it becomes painfully apparent that Tom has been kidnapped by the murderer.
  
  Mmkay.
  
  I can happily say having read enough of the post-marriage book mysteries, that The Last Suppers is an aberration for the series as a whole. Although Goldy regularly gets herself into trouble by being an amateur detective, usually Tom Schulz stays out of trouble. Yes, he's in a dangerous line of work but he's also a paid and more importantly, a trained, professional. His work as an officer of the law is a means for Goldy to get timely information that most amateur detectives don't have access too.
  
  So while it was interesting to see how Diane Mott Davidson transitioned her series from the caterer vs. police officer set up of the first couple books to the more domestic caterer married to a police officer books, it felt like she was grinding her gears. While Goldy does tend to overly emotional at times, here, she was completely unstrung.
  
  Then there's Tom. He's a professional. He doesn't take unnecessary risks. He just doesn't strike me as the sort of person who would get himself kidnapped and kept prisoner. His continued disappearance to stall the wedding and build unnecessary dramatic tension was a cop out (pun intended).
  
  Had the book just started with their wedding, or immediately afterwards, The Last Suppers would have been a much better — and more in character — part of the series.
• 
  Tara Godbolt

  I'm struggling with the entire Goldy Bear series and this book only increases my struggles. I think the author needs to re-read her own books and get a better editor. I can't believe no editor would mention the things I'm going to list in the review. I have three major complaints. First, as many reviewers before me have mentioned, why does Goldy constantly refer to her fiancé by his full name, Tom Schultz? She does this countless times throughout the book. The few times she calls him just Tom, there is no issue because there is no other Tom in the story. She does this with other characters as well and it's equally annoying. Second, why is Goldy so awkward and clumsy? She's constantly falling, flailing, or tripping over something. She's very awkward in social situations to the point of seeming very childish or immature. Third, why does Goldy constantly describe Marla? When Marla is introduced in each book I understand the need for a description to re-introduce the character but the way she describes her borders on overkill and sometimes just repetitive. Here are some of her descriptions of Marla: plump, bejeweled hand, large presence, small hands, wide body, large body, small hands, plump cheeks, plump hands, ample hips, large chest, chunky arm.
  Some of those descriptions come right after the previous. As you get about halfway through the book she stops this but it's annoying. One additional thing: why does no one mention the relationship between Marla and Julian. I'm not sure why I continue with the series. It doesn't appear to be getting better.
• 
  Tabby Kat

  Caterer Goldy Bear's wedding would have been perfect except for two minor problems--the priest is killed shortly before the wedding and her fianc{‚}e, homicide detective Tom Schulz, is kidnapped from the scene of the crime. Frustrated with waiting for updates from the police, Goldy attempts to find out who ruined her wedding. Is the killer the organist, recently fired by the priest? Or the disgruntled theology student snubbed by the ordination board? Sandwiched between the suspense and Goldy's 10 gourmet recipes are layerings of criticism directed at organized religion. The scandals of Goldy's church snowball as she pursues the killer. Battles over church funds, building projects, and hymnal music lead to suspicious miracle healing and cleric egocentricity as well as corruptness. And although Tom Schulz's character is never more than one-dimensional, Goldy's realistic thoughts and reactions to events make her an interesting personality--
• 
  Ellen Moore

  Number 4 in the Goldy the caterer mystery series was a little different from the first 3. It had a lot about problems between groups that disagreed (on about everything) in Goldy's church and about the church's doctrines. It also dealt with Goldy's and Tom's planned wedding and whether it would take place. Goldy did her usual investigating of several crimes but was hampered by several personal injuries and problems. This one seemed more difficult and frustrating than the other books I have read in this series, and the case solutions and answers to questions were not clear until the end of the book. It annoyed me that with all Goldy's emotional and physical problems, people in her church still expected her involvement in committees and kept asking her to provide food for different meetings.
• 
  Peggy

  I enjoy this cozy series about a caterer in Colorado. In this book, Goldy is about to marry homicide detective Tom Schultz, but he phones to say the pastor who was to marry them is dead. Then, before the police can arrive, Tom disappears. Goldy's wedding is off, her fiancee has been kidnapped, and her pastor is dead. What else can happen? The story is sometimes humorous with Goldy uncovering all kinds of secrets among her fellow parishioners. Did the dead pastor have healing powers? What happened the thousands of dollars worth of pearls to be auctioned off by the church? Who hated the pastor enough to end him? Where was Tom? Is he dead or hurt? Goldy can't resist sleuthing on her own. Well written with good characters, these are always a good read.
• 
  Mira

  Oh dear God. Too much God! I love Goldy but this installment based around church and church goers bored me as much as Sunday school when you just wanted to stay in bed. Goldy is depressed and anxious the whole way through as her husband to be is kidnapped. A slew of unlikely events and unlikable characters ensue all against the infinitely tedious backdrop of the ecclesiastical church. Yawn.
  
  I'm going to stick with the series as I'm a Goldy fan, but I have to say, I'm a bit tentative. Fingers crossed it's a return to form and that Goldy gets some fire into her belly